An autumn walk in the woods
by Lost Lantean
Summary: The wind rustled the colorful leaves of the trees in the forest, jarring a few loose and sending them to float gently down towards the two students that had chosen to brave the elements for an evening walk. JxA fluff


The early evening sun shone weakly through the thick grey clouds that hung overhead like a blanket on this fall day. Yellow light spilled out from the rec room on Kadic's campus, revealing Yumi and Ulrich locked in a fierce battle on the foosball table. In a different building on campus Odd was in his room, the blinds and door shut to keep out prying eyes. The sound of rain splattering on the window pane made him look up and around the room before he was pulled back down by the girl he was making out with. Below him, and a few rooms over, the girl he was currently dating sat in her room working on her homework while listening the sound of the intermittent wind driven rain as it hit her window.

Outside the damp air whipped through the deserted canyons formed by the buildings of Kadic and headed for the forest that abutted the campus perimeter. Broken up at ground level by the trees, the wind rustled the colorful leaves of the many trees, jarring a few loose and sending them to float gently down towards the two students that had chosen to brave the elements for an evening walk.

A female in her middle teens took lazy steps, though the dimly lit forest, her eyes focused on the reds and yellows of the changing leaves above. Her maroon jacket, pink hooded sweatshirt, jeans and boots sheltered her body from the worst of the fall weather. The occasional bouts of rain however, still stung when the droplets of icy water managed to hit her face or hands. But despite the short-lived discomfort the teenager kept her eyes glued on the canopy above, silently marveling at the colors.

Beside her walked a boy who simply kept pace with her, matching her strides and shivering despite the protection of his thick turtleneck sweater and heavier blue jacket. He made a point to look forward at the trail from time to time to be sure of both his and his companion's footing. Lost as she was in the trees and, most likely, her own thoughts he wanted to be sure he was alert for any possible tripping hazards. With a glance he silently wished they'd already returned to Kadic, the cold was getting to him and he didn't like it, not that he would actually say anything.

Aelita turned her head and regarded Jeremy for just a moment before slipping her hand up the boy's sleeve to grasp his hand and wincing as she felt how cold it was. He looked at her more carefully and stopped resisting what he felt like doing. With a guilty look he pulled her against his side and huddled into her, craving the warmth as much as the closeness he was slowly getting less shy about.

Smiling she adjusted her walking to accommodate Jeremy's cuddle attempt and tugged his hand out of its hiding place in his coat sleeve. Before he could protest, she rubbed his had between both of her own, helping to warm both their hands to a more reasonable temperature. With a slight sign she broke the companionable and comfortable silence. "I think we should head back to Kadic." He flashed a smile and nodded eagerly in response.

She nodded back and turned her attention skywards again, taking in the rustling sound of the wind playing with the leaves and the motion of those leaves as they swayed and even fell. It reminded her a bit of the first time she'd seen the leaves change color and of the walk she'd finally convinced Jeremy to take with her through the woods.

That day it had been much warmer, though just as cloudy. She frowned slightly, recalling that it had taken the threat of asking Odd to go with her to get his attention off of her materialization program. Then it had taken him almost 20 minutes for him to finally leave behind, or perhaps just push aside, the guilty feeling that said he needed to be working.

Once he had managed to just accept that he needed a break and he needed to be her company and guide to the world he'd brought her into he fell into his pre-materialization pattern. Patiently explaining the new wonder she had found in a world that she didn't know she was from at the time. Unfortunately there had been an unexpected downside to his answering of a simple, innocent question: why are the leaves so colorful when they were just green before?

Jeremy thought a moment and then thoroughly explained the process, basically saying that in the winter there isn't enough light or water for the leaves to produce food and so the chlorophyll that helps along photosynthesis goes away and the remaining chemicals trapped in the leaf get a chance to show off. Of course he continued by pointing out that soon after the leaves change color they fall off since the plant doesn't have enough resources to both make it through the winter and support the leaves after they stopped contributing food to the plant. That-

"Aelita?"

Surprised, the pink-haired girl pulled her attention away from the forest canopy and her own memories to look towards Jeremy, only now realizing that she had slowed to a stop.

"What are you looking at?" Jeremy asked worriedly.

"Remembering..." Aelita answered softly, "the first time you took me through the forest in autumn."

Jeremy smiled uncertainly and scratched his head nervously, "Not my best romantic performance."

Aelita chuckled, "No, it wasn't." She smiled sweetly at him and continued, "I often wondered if you were the tree trying to support a leaf through winter. I wondered that about everyone really, it took so much to support and save me... I sometimes thought you should have just left me behind, like a leaf that no longer had a purpose."

"You?" Jeremy asked, disbelieving. "You're the linchpin of our group, the one who's always been able to keep everyone together." With a sigh, Jeremy continued. "I always figured I'd be the one to be shed like a dead leaf."

Aelita frowned, looked down at the ground and then bent down to pick up one of the wet leaves that had fallen. She rose back to a standing position and spent a few seconds examining it while Jeremy looked on curiously before letting it drop back to the ground. "You aren't a leaf. And even if you were one, not all trees shed their leaves in the winter."

"True." Jeremy answered. "But I don't really fit in with everyone else while you can be as popular as you want."

"No matter how much you don't fit in, you'll always be a part of this group and..." Aelita bit her lip nervously during the pause, "a part of my heart and my soul."

Jeremy wiped at the tear that formed in his eye and smiled, "and you a part of me."

"Good." Aelita answered with a big grin. "Now how about we head back to Kadic and get you out of this cold weather."

"That sounds like a good plan." Jeremy answered, making no effort to hide his eagerness.

Aelita made an exaggerated humph, "so you don't like walking in the woods with me?"

"It's not-" Jeremy stopped his apology when she took off running.

"Catch me if you can!" She called playfully over her shoulder.

"I'm tickling you when I catch up with you." Jeremy answered in a low voice.

"What?" Aelita yelled back, "Threats don't count if I can't hear you."

"I'm tickling you when I catch up with you, " he yelled out in response before clamping his mouth shut.

"If you want to make me laugh you'll have to tell me jokes." Aelita answered firmly as she continued running in the direction of Kadic. "Because when you finally make it home you'll be the one being tickled." She called over her shoulder, deeply embarrassed yet loving the feeling. A better idea crossed her mind in short order and she slowed to a stop with an impish smile.

Jeremy predictably stopped beside her, lightly panting and wearing a concerned look on his face. Before he could say anything she pressed her lips to his cheek and felt the burning sensation as the warmth of her lips rushed to the cold of his cheek. She pulled back but stared into his surprised eyes. It would be so easy to just kiss him properly. They were alone in the middle of the woods standing only a few inches apart while all their friends and fellow students were enjoying the shelter of Kadic's various buildings.

_All she needs to do is lean forward_. Jeremy's dazed mind told him. _All I need to do is lean forward_. He realized a heartbeat later. All the nervousness and awkwardness he felt battled pure desire as his near frozen body remained rooted in place. _Such an easy yet difficult thing_, he thought as the perfect face in front of him hesitantly closed the gap. Their lips brushed then locked together and he wrapped his hands around her as she did the same. Warmth seemed to flood through his body for a long moment before she pulled away.

Aelita watched her boyfriend with a bemused smile, noticing that he looked a bit warmer in the aftermath of her kiss. He moved a bit and she grabbed his hand, pulling him along for several steps before he was walking on his own again. Another ten steps and she turned her head to flash him a devilish, flirty look. "Come on, race you back to Kadic and win or lose I'll help you warm up when we get to the dorms."

Jeremy's heart skipped a beat as he shyly asked, "how do you plan to do that?" He felt guilty yet hopped he knew the answer already.

Aelita's face held a nervous, mischievous expression. "You already know the answer to that," she answered teasingly. When she saw the expression on Jeremy's face she knew that he knew. Winking at him she turned and took off running, the sound of his footsteps behind her letting her know that he was with her. _Now and forever_ she thought as he pulled up beside her and she adjusted her pace to let him hold that position.


End file.
